1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the preparation and serving of food in the out-of-doors. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for a portable modular field kitchen for use with other cooking equipment in preparing and serving food at camp sights, backyard patios and other outdoor venues.
2. Description of the Related Art
The relevant art is directed to outdoor kitchen type devices. The outdoor kitchen devices of the prior art are typically employed for (a) storing food stuffs transported to an outdoor site and for (b) food preparation. The outdoor site can be a campsite for hunting, fishing, hiking, rock climbing, a roadside camping facility for recreational vehicles or any other outdoor activity typically removed from ones residence. In the alternative, the outdoor site can be as local as a barbecue grill located at a city park, the beach or even on the patio or in the back yard of ones residence.
An outdoor field kitchen device known in the prior art included a structure having a top work surface and storage shelves. The field kitchen device was formed entirely from steel tubing and consequently was very heavy, cumbersome and unstable. Thus the field kitchen device was difficult for a woman or small person to transport, assemble and disassemble. Another kitchen type device or campers table included a top work surface comprised of polyethylene which could be removed and replaced with a sink or a portable stove of the type used in a recreational vehicle or tent trailer. Several other outdoor kitchen type devices included a work surface and a sink mounted adjacent to the work surface. Draining water from the sink after use was accomplished by a drain hole which often resulted in creating a pool of water underneath the outdoor kitchen device. Further, the sink was very shallow and consequently was not useful for washing large utensils. Additionally, the outdoor kitchen device was expensive and generally unstable.
Several other outdoor kitchen type devices have been known in the prior art and have been referred to as a compact portable kitchen, kitchen unit, camp stove cabinet, compact field kitchen, field range cabinet, portable storage device table, foldable sink table, compact portable kitchen and the like.
The portable kitchen is contained within a box and, when assembled, stands on four legs and includes multiple shelves and storage areas, a work surface and a cooler box. When disassembled, the portable kitchen box fits into a standard trailer or the back of a station wagon.
The kitchen unit includes the main kitchen features, i.e., a sink, a stove unit located within a countertop, an icebox and a dish rack located within a cabinet for outdoor use. Water is pumped by pressure out of a faucet and a separate bottle collects drain water. The stove utilizes butane gas from a portable container for fuel and the icebox utilizes stored ice as a cooling medium.
The camp stove cabinet comprises a cabinet having a top surface that serves to support a portable gas stove powered by a bottled flammable gas. The top surface also serves as a work surface. A pair of multiple tier cabinets having hinged doors are located underneath the top surface.
The compact field kitchen is also box-shaped and stands upon four legs when assembled. The main portion of the field kitchen includes a sink and a stove fueled by a bottled flammable gas. A vertical portion includes a plurality of storage cabinets and a direct current source is employed to power a fluorescent lamp. When disassembled, the entire field kitchen collapses into a portable box.
The field range cabinet is a portable out-of-doors cooking apparatus having a removable outer shell. The outer shell is capable of easy and quick locking and unlocking with respect to the frame of the field range cabinet and easy removal from the frame to facilitate cleaning of the interior walls. The interior of the field range cabinet also includes horizontal and vertical support elements of the frame to contain the contents of what is being cooked.
The portable storage device and table for use in outdoor activities unfolds from a trunk-like container into a table. The storage device and table have a front shelf space which foldably lifts from the container providing support for the table surface. The trunk-like base provides a storage receptacle for articles.
The foldable sink table includes a top work surface located adjacent to a sink. The sink table includes four vertical legs including a storage space underneath the work surface. Mounted above the work surface are shelves and mounted adjacent to the sink table is another large work surface.
Finally, the compact portable kitchen includes a box-shaped apparatus on wheels having an upper surface completely covered by multiple cooking devices such as a range, a grill and a deep pan fryer. Beneath the top surface is a storage drawer and underneath the drawer is a storage shelf. Mounted above the top surface is a hood including a ventilation fan. The compact portable kitchen clearly requires a source of electricity to power the cooking apparatus.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a portable modular field kitchen that comprises a lightweight, rigid aluminum frame, assembles and disassembles quickly and easily without the use of tools, includes a main work surface that is located at standard countertop height, includes a pair of side tables located at standard table height for accommodating the serving of meals and the support of cooking equipment where the side tables are comprised of grates for allowing spillage to escape, includes a pair of lantern holders, and the collapsed modular field kitchen is insertable into a waterproof carrying case.